WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE COUNTIES ACT.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1139, 14 October 1879, Page 3

WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE COUNTIES ACT.

The Waipa County Council havo prepared and forwarded the following memorial to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary :— • The memorial of the Waipa County Council humbly she with that the Counties Act, and other icts for the government of local bodies would be more easily and mjro geuorally adopted, if such aniendmants were made as might be suggested by those Councils who have worked the Act. Your memorialists desire very respeot- . fully to direct your attention to the following clauses m the several Acts : — By section 13, clause 2, of tho Financial ' Arrangements Aot, it is yprovided that pro rata deductions shallbe made from subsidies payable to County Councils and other bodies, for the support of Hospitals and Charitable Institutions. Your memorialists pray that this clause bo so amended that such local body.pay tho ascertained cost por head for each patient sent from the district over which such local body has control. Section 23, Financial Arrangements Act, clause 2, does not provide for Auctioneers and > awkers living in one county aucl doing business therein, and also doing business in other counties. Your memorialists pray thr.t the said clause be . so amended, that all fees for Publicans, . Brewers, Auctioneers, Hawkers or other licenses shall jbe paid direct to the county oilfiorough, and that the councils of such county or borough . bo empowered to issue all such licenses,, and thus be enabled to keep a check oh parties doing business in such county or borough. ' In definition of terms in Counties and Public Works Aot, published, publicly notified or publio notice mean, to be published in a . newspaper circulating iu the district, or by printed placard, and compliance with this rule in all cases cases much needless expense. Ypur memorialists pray, the definition be amended, by adding, after the words "Printed Placard," except in following sections, in which cases it is left to the discretion of the governing body to give the required notice by written or printed placard, as may be deemed most expedient by the said body, namely, sections 46, 80, 86, 137 and 177 Counties and section 40, • ating Act. , Section 8, Counties' Act, provides for tbe division of each county into ridinsrs, A but not to exceed nine. Your memorialists % ,. pray that this section be -amended so that each Road Board district in a county be a riding, and the olauselimitiug the number of ridings to nine be abolished. Section 9, Counties' Aot, provides for a governing: body to be elected, and part 5, sections 53 to 60, provides for the election of councillors, their number, &o. Your : memorialists pri. y that these eections be amended as follows : — Each ckairman of a Road Board in a couuty shall be ex officio a member of the council of the said county, and the number of councillors be not limited. That any Road Board shall be entitled to send a second representative, if the population of Buch district exceed 750, or if the amount of current rates collected in such district in each year exceed the sum of » 200. Section 57 provides for an annual allowance by way of salary to the chairman. Your memorialists pray that the said section be so 'amended, as only to allow paymen to be made for such exponses as are incurred while attending to the business of the oounoil and under instructions from that body. That soction 65 be abolished, and nc person bo allowed to contest an election for more than one riding at a time. That section 116 provides for the appointment of Auditors, Your memorialists pray that the section be so amended that oaoh council shall have power to make such appointments. -. Section 163 provides that tbis section be abolished; also, clause 3, section 177, which provides that By-laws shall not come into force until after a copy has been sent to the Colonial Secretary. Your memorialists further pray that the Rating Act be amended, as follows ; — That it be left to the discretion of each district highway board, or local body, whether the rate be struck on value to Jet, or an acreage rate. Tliat section 21 be eo]]amended, that the ohairman of each district, for which an Assessment Court is held, shall sit with tho Resident Magistrate to hear appeals. Section 34 provides that no appeal against the decision of an Assessment Court oan be made. Your memorialists pray that this section bo so amended or aboUshed, as to allow of appeal being made. _ And your 'memorialists, as ia duty bouaa >^iU9verpi;ay 1 .&c>&o-- '